


One Flew Over The Pinkerton Nest

by spotty8ee



Category: Mission Invisible | I.N.K. Invisible Network of Kids (Cartoon)
Genre: Anxiety Disorder, Doctor/Patient, Family Fluff, Family Issues, Healing, Hurt/Comfort, Kinda, Mental Health Issues, Mental Institutions, No Sex, OCD, Past Sexual Abuse, Physical Abuse, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Underage Drug Use, mentions of abuse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-17
Updated: 2018-03-29
Packaged: 2019-04-01 12:08:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 19,015
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13998018
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spotty8ee/pseuds/spotty8ee
Summary: Pinkerton School for the differently abled was created by Cosmo Sopper, in hopes of helping children with special needs. It took a lot of time and effort, especially after it opened, but he's seen a lot of improvement in his student's lives and while he knows the is struggle never truly over, its worth all the blood, sweat and tears. Especially when he sees how far they've come.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys, this is a different take on I.N.K as a whole. Basically the school is for kids with special needs.(Though there are no physically disabled students as of yet. I haven't given all the kids an impairment, so if you have suggestions, leave it in the comments) 
> 
> That being said, I am no expert on disabilities. If I write something that is grossly incorrect or insulting then please let me know!

The screeching of tires and the wail of oncoming sirens. The jerking of motion, the choking feeling of the tightened seat belt, the flopping of her stomach.  Someone cusses as gunfire echoes from behind the vehicle. More jerking, rude hand gestures and yelling. Hands clench the armrest and door handle, an approaching highway on ramp, the explosion behind and then-

 

Tumbling. The world is a flopping, spinning mess out the front window before it explodes in a flurry of glass. Metal crunches as something thumps wildly beside her before it's thrown out the open window, the horn give an elongated sound off before all falls to black.

 

It lasted but a few seconds before consciousness returns. Mouth dry, body shaking and hair damp. Arm hurts, chest to… Outside in the fading sunlight she can make out the approaching, red and blue flashing, upside down lights.

 

After freeing the belt she falls to the car ceiling become-floor into an ocean of glass splinters, she crawls out the busted window, clutching her arm and looking out over the scattered debris. The swishing of a helicopter as it gets closer. The spotlight blares on, focusing on an area of field. She sees the sight of a twisted hand with a bright white wrist watch poking through the grass. She moved to see the damage.

 

The woman is broken beyond repair. A sight most sickening as her neck and limbs splay out in all the wrong directions. Numbly she nudges the woman, waiting for some kind of angry, spiteful response, only to find silence.

 

Clutching her arm closer the girl contemplates what this means for her. Though she supposes that she should be saddened, she find only a dash of somber emotion. Really she feels lighter. However this now entails that she is alone.

 

Only not really, now she’s alone… with him.

 

The girl begins to panic at the realization, dropping to her knees and shaking the woman’s shoulder with her good hand.

 

“Leta..” She murmurs, trying to rouse her despite already knowing she is gone. Desperate for the small amount of protection this spiteful woman unknowingly gave her. “Leta.” She tried a little louder, wincing when the spotlight got brighter.

 

Shaking she knelt closer to the woman’s ear, hoping to get anything, even a response of rage.

 

“M-mom?” She whispered into her ear.

 

There was nothing.

 

Then something grabbed her. She choked, twisting in the hold to find a large shadowed figure. Her mind shuttered and through the fog of her mind she couldn’t see.

 

Was it him? Or was it a police officer?

 

Her brain roared, uncaring whom it was, fear and adrenaline made her guts clench and her mouth grow even drier. She could see mouth movement from them, but no noise. Only the gurgling of blood in her ears and the pounding of her heart. With wild motion she kicked him, the shadow man’s knees buckles and she tried to run, but there were more now, grabbing her.

 

Her throat hurt, she was screaming. She was attacking with everything she had when something stabbed her in the side, pain erupting in a montage of electricity. She fell to the ground and some figures with no faces went to stand over her. A large male one started to reach for her, a scream starting in the back of her throat and-

 

**Blankets.**

 

The scream was strangled in her throat as she almost fell from the bed. Sheets tangled around her tightly. Zero kicked herself free, clawing to the back of her bed frantically. Pressed up against the wall and bed frame as she looked around.

 

Her room at Pinkerton.

 

Same as it ever was. Nothing out of place.

 

She shuttered, running a hand down her face. She eyed the clock on her bedside table,  it was seven o’clock, a little bit before she normally woke up. Today was saturday, so there was no rush to get up as she was free to do what she wanted on campus.

 

Her eyes darted to the corners of the room wearily. She couldn’t shake this uneasy feeling she had, like there was a looming danger somewhere… Zero knew she was just making it up in her head. It did that sometimes. Pinkerton was one of the safest places in the world to her, she had a nice bed, a roof over her head, lots of food, people who cared about her. When Mr Sopper had brought her here two years ago, she thought this place was too good to be true…

 

That didn’t stop the creeping doubts every now and then though… Trying to take her mind off it she turned off the alarm and got up, stretching a bit. Then she did a few push up to keep busy as she thought. She couldn’t take a shower yet, shower hours weren’t till eight. Cafeteria was closed. “”Infact she was locked on the bedroom floor until Mr Sopper came and let them out. Of course there was the emergency intercom to his room, but she doubted this counted as an emergency.

 

Might as well brush my teeth and change.

 

She stood back up, not bothering to count how many push ups she did and made her way to the bathroom, getting her toothbrush out of her locker. She went past the locked shower room to the sinks and started to brush lazily.

 

“Like, Morning.” Came a voice from the entrance. Looking over she saw Van walking in, still in her Pjs as well.

 

“‘Orin-” She grunted through her toothbrush.

 

Van stopped a few sinks away from her, inspecting her face for a moment in the mirror. “Ugh, I need my face cream. I think I’m getting a zit!” She scowled, walking to her locker.

 

Zero spat into the sink and wiped her mouth with the back of her sleeve. “Didn’t Mr Sopper take that because you used too much? It burned your face or something?” She grunted.

 

“Yeah, he did. Now he has to check every little bit of beauty product my mom sends in.” Van scowled, but came back with something. “Instead I have to use this baking soda stuff. Dosen’t work as good.”

 

“Less red, painful skin though, I bet.” Zero responded before taking a drink of water to gurgle.

 

“Beauty, like, has a price. That's what my mom always said.” Van grunted, she watched Zero spit into the sink, grimacing when Zero got some on her own pajama shirt. “Ew! Didn’t your mom ever teach you how to be a lady?”

 

Zero stared into the mirror for a bit, mouth a thin line.

 

“She never taught me anything.” Zero said finally.

 

“Oh, well now you know!” Van responded, missing the mood Zero was putting off entirely.

 

“Yup.” Zero said, going to put her toothbrush away.

 

“I’m gonna wait until the showers are unlocked.” Van said as she applied the baking powder cream. “You should to, you smell all sweaty.”

 

“I’ll survive.” Zero grunted, slamming her locker door shut. “See yeah.”

 

“Bye.” Van answered, still working on her face when the bathroom door shut.

 

She was trudging back to her room, hands in her pockets when she passed Trixies door and could hear muttering from inside. Pausing she backed up, listening to the noise on the other side. It was Trixie alright, but she wasn’t sure what she was saying…

 

She pushed the door open, knocking loudly on the frame. “Trixie.”

 

“One minute.” Trixie said swiftly, a bit of edge to her words. She was bent over her desk, doing some kind of writing. After a minute she paused, looking it over before shaking her head angrily and erasing it.

 

Zero blinked before going to her side to read over her shoulder. “I thought you finished that book report last night.” She asked in confusion.

 

“I did.” Trixie muttered. She wrote out a sentence over a very heavily erased area of paper. A few words in she paused, looked it over and scowled. Then she erased it before starting to write again in exact same way, with the very same words.

 

“What are you doing?” Zero asked, eyes squinting in confusion.

 

“The spacing isn’t right.” Trixie frowned, pausing her writing again. “Look at it! Too much space between these two letters, but too little between these!”

 

“Trixie, your writing is fine.” Zero said. “Its way better than anyone else in the school, you don’t need to-”

 

“Well I’m not satisfied with it! Ok?!” Trixie growled, pulling the paper a little farther away from Zero, like she was afraid the white haired girl would steal it. She tapped her pencil on the table three times, then groaned and reached up for an antibacterial pump on the shelf.

 

“Trixie!” Zero gasped, eyes wide. “Your hands are all red!”

 

“Their fine!” Trixie frowned, pumping the gel three times before rubbing her hands together thoroughly. Zero had to cover her mouth as the smell of antibacterial was so strong from overuse.

 

Zero had seen enough, she knew a Trixie meltdown when she saw one. Zero made her way out to the hall towards the intercom by the main door, pressing on the button to get Mr Sopper’s attention.

 

It took less than five seconds for a response. “Yes? Who is it? What seems to be the trouble?”

 

“Uh, sorry its so early Mr Sopper, but Trixie’s rubbing her hands raw with anti-bacterial again and-”

 

“Say no more Zero. I’ll be right up! Keep an eye on her for me, but don’t try to intervene.” He said, the sounds of him preparing to go upstairs in the background of the transmission. “I’ll be but a moment.”

 

Zero sighed once the Intercom was silent and went back to Trixie’s doorway, watching the poor girl work herself into a tizzy. The floor creaked as someone came to her side, looking down Zero saw it was Kathy.

 

“W-w-whats w-wrong with Tri-ixie-e?” Kathy asked in a small voice.

 

“She’s having a rough morning.” Zero responded simply.

 

“Oh.” Kathy seemed to watch her, her head flinching to the side quickly as she released a soft squeaking noise. As swiftly as the action happened however it went away just as fast, Kathy and Zero reacting as if nothing unusual had passed. “Well, I need t-to go to the ba-a-athroom.”

 

“Ok, I’m gonna keep an eye on her.” Zero said, nodding to Trixie as she spoke.

 

“A-alright.” Kathy said, when she repeated the same motion as before, her ear touching her shoulder for a second as she squeaked again before she was back to normal. “See you at breakfast.”

 

“Mmhmm.” Zero said before she was alone once more.

 

The main door down the hall rattled and Zero looked back just in time for Mr Sopper to enter, putting his key ring away. He was already dressed for the day and had likely been up for an hour before Zero even called. “Ah Zero! Thank you for telling me. Just stay out in the hall here while I speak to her.” He slipped past her into the door, pausing to survey the girl and her actions before taking a seat on her bed next to her.

 

“Hello Trixie.” Mr Sopper said easily, smiling a little. “What are you doing?”

 

“Mr Sopper?!” Trixie yelped, looking up in surprise as she hadn’t noticed him come in. “What are you doing here?”

 

“Thought I’d come up early and open the door, but I heard you seemed a little troubled.” Mr Sopper said. “What are you working on so feverishly?”

 

“Oh, um…” She looked down. “M-my book report. I just needed to get the handwriting fixed.”

 

“I see, was it not legible? “ Mr Sopper asked.

 

“Well… no… You can read it…”

 

“I see, then what seems to be wrong with it?” He asked, tilting his head.

 

“I just… the spacing is all off!” Trixie said angrily, starting to erase again. “I can’t hand it in like this-”

 

RIIIIIIIPPPP

 

The room fell silent and Zero winced at the sound.

 

“Oh no!”

 

“Now Trixie.” Mr Sopper said calmly, holding his hands up. “There no need to worry. Its just a bit of a rip. A little tape and it will be fine.”

 

“No! I can’t hand this in! It's a mess! Its-Its!-” Trixie grappled for word before her hands went for the Anti-bacterial again, pumping it three times and rubbing it into her hands.

 

“Trixie. I think you're having some compulsions.” Mr Sopper said, not moving to stop her.

 

“I- No… I’m not…”

 

“Your hands are very raw Trixie.” Mr Sopper said, eyeing them. “And you seem very anxious about this paper, despite the fact that you have excellent grades and that this report isn’t due for two more days..”

 

“Well…” Trixie muttered, wringing her hands a bit before wincing at their soreness.

 

“Trixie, you remember what we’ve talked about don’t you?” He asked, patting her back. “About rituals?”

 

“I’m trying, but I don’t feel good not doing them…” Trixie whined, eyeing the antibacterial above her bed.

 

“I know, however I’m sure redoing your paper over and over or hurting your hands doesn't feel good either.” Mr Sopper waited incase Trixie wanted to respond, but she just looked down at her lap. “I’ll tell you what. I’ll unlock the shower, you get ready for the day and we can meet up after breakfast to look over the paper again. I’m sure after you’ve taken your medication and had some food you’ll have a clearer view on your studies.”

 

Trixie kept staring at her lap before she tugged on her shirt and ran a hand through her hair. She sighed heavily, and looked up. “Yes, I think that would be best.”

 

“Alright, well you get your things together and I’ll unlock the door. I suspect Van is already waiting for me.” Mr Sopper smiled before standing. “Take your time ok.”

 

“Yes sir. Thank you.” Trixie said, getting up out of her chair and gathering her day clothes as Mr Sopper left out the door, shutting it behind him.

 

“Good work Zero.” Mr Sopper said chipperly. “ Thank you for calling me. By the time I would have come up normally, her hand may have been much worse.”

 

“I just heard her mumbling in her room.” Zero said, shrugging a bit.

 

Mr Sopper seemed to be looking her over. He did that to everyone and Zero had grown used to it, after all the man was her psychologist and headmaster. It was his job to make sure all his wards were taken care of. He had made Pinkerton with that goal in mind, as it was a school for children with psychological issues.

 

“You seem a little tense Zero.” He started, looking suspicious.

 

“Yeah…” Zero muttered. “I just had a bad dream.”

 

“What about?”

 

Zero frowned, looking to the floor. There wasn’t any point in trying to lie. Mr Sopper had a way of reading people. “About Leta. The car chase and stuff.”

 

“Do you want to talk about it?” He asked in concern.

 

“No, there's nothing much else left to say about it. Not with what we’ve already talked about.” Zero sighed. “I’m just on edge, but I’ve felt like that for the last few days.”

 

“I know lowering your dosage has been difficult Zero, and I’m proud that you’ve handled it so well thus far. Just remember there is no shame in asking for me to reconsider putting it up again, if you feel you need it.” Mr Sopper said. “We don’t want to cause an episode for you or reverse any of the progress you’ve made.”

 

“I know.” Zero agreed. “I’ll be ok. Mornings are just the hardest.”

 

“Well medication hand out is in the next hour or so. Go get ready for the day and I’ll call Ms McBeth for shower duty.” Mr Sopper said.

 

Ugh, Ms Mcbeth.

 

The mean old witch who worked at the school was the only other employee. She was a horrible fit here, what with her hating children and all, but she thankfully never taught. Mr Sopper did all the teaching and psychological work. Ms Mcbeth was in charge of security and was a backup,  incase Mr Sopper needed to step out of class with a student. She was very strict and grouchy, never hiding her disdain for the kids and while it seemed like Mr Sopper didn’t notice, Zero knew he was just feigning naivety. So long as Ms Mcbeth never hurt the children or negatively affected their mental recovery there wasn’t much that could be done. Not to mention she did do well in her security work. She was also in charge of guarding the girl’s shower to make sure none of them tried to hurt themselves with the shaving razors or slipped and hurt themselves.

 

As Mr Sopper called her on his phone, Zero retreated to her room.

 

Time for another day.

* * *

 

Dressed in her usual hoodie Zero was waiting in line with the other girls. At nine sharp, everyday, they were taken down stairs for their medication and then to breakfast. They were still missing Van, as the girl was known for taking long showers, but with Ms McBeth incharge they knew she wouldn’t be long.

 

“Come on!” Mcbeth shouted, opening the bathroom door. “The sooner we get you little ‘children’ downstairs the better.” She scowled into the bathroom darkly. “So get a move on!”

 

“Yeah, Yeah.” Van grumbled, walking out into the hall, perfectly dressed. “I heard you the first time…”

 

McBeth snorted through her nose, leading Van to the group and unlocking the door. They walked single file down the stairs behind the purple haired woman to the main hall, where the pills were already set out. As usual the boys had beaten them down, Mr Sopper handing out a few doses still.

 

“Here they are Cosmo. I’ll go back to my post now if you don’t mind.” McBeth said swiftly walked for the exit door.

 

“Ah, thank you Sadie!” He said as he handed Vin his portion cup. The blonde tossed the cup back and swallowed them whole. “Alright Vin, make a funny face!” He said cheerfully once he got the cup back. Vin responded with a ridiculous expression, tongue sticking out of his mouth. “Very good! Next!” He waved the boy out into the courtyard before turning to Freddie.

 

“Mr Sopper!” Everyone groaned a bit when Ms McBeth returned angrily. “Why won’t my office door accept my card? Its rejecting the pins as well!”

 

“Did I not tell you that our system was updated last night? We got new cards and everything. I sent one to you last night.” Mr Sopper frowned, setting down the next cup. When McBeth kept scowling he laughed. “Well, I’ll let you in. You can go get your card and meet us in the mess hall.”

 

“Yes, please do. You know I hate not being updated on these things.” She stepped aside to allow him down the hall before following after. “I mean, I am the head of security.”

 

 _‘He probably emailed you about it, but you didn’t bother to read it.’_ Zero thought with a scowl.

 

“Well look who got downstairs late again. You girls primping in the mirror?” Bert laughed in front of them, most of the girls turning to glower at him.

 

“Might do you some good.” Zero shot back, still frowning.

 

“Hey, I’m a guy, we don’t gotta primp.” Bert snickered, dusting off his shirt. “ I just gotta keep these muscles in peak condition.”

 

“Can’t even do that.” Zero said simply. “I guess keeping things in mind is hard for you.”

 

Bert glared at her, the remaining kids chuckling at the remark. “You think you're so tough huh?!”

 

“I know wise guy.” Zero snapped back. “And unlike you I don’t feel like I have to prove it to anyone.”

 

Bert snarled at her, getting into a fighting pose. “Well I say you do-AHhhh!”

 

Zero made a fake lunge forward, sending Bert stumbling back in fear. He fell down to the ground, knocking the table and throwing a few of the pill cups off it. All the girls laughed loudly at the sight, Zero shaking her head.

 

“See, even you know I shouldn’t be messed with when push comes to shove.” Zero said. “So maybe shove off, Bert.”

 

Bert growled, looking up when his little brother Freddie took his arm to help him before he shook him off. “I can get up on my own!” He barked, the boy stumbling back.

 

“Be nice to your brother Bert.” Trixie scolded, looking out from behind Zero. “He's still trying to get better, you might put him back in progress.”

 

“So the little imp is glued to my hip and won’t say a peep! Its not my fault he’s annoying!” Bert grunted, looking back at his brother. Apparently the younger boy was still trying to help as Freddie had taken the cups and pills, putting them back together on the table. Bert softened a bit “But I guess he ain’t horrible.”

 

“You're only in Pinkerton because your brother has separation anxiety.” Zero grunted.

 

“He sh’uld ‘ave anxiety because he c‘an’t sep-a-rate from ’ou.” Bertha said and while she was a little difficult to understand sometimes, her down syndrome didn’t impede her sharp wit and even sharper tongue.  The girls all laughed at her burn, Bertha earning a few high fives.

 

“Hey!” Bert snapped angrily.

 

“Like guys, come on.” Van said in a huff. “Its starting to be, like, overkill. Were all ganging up on him at once.”

 

“She right. Besides Bert needs the rest of the day to make up a decent comeback.” Zero smirked, side stepping around Bert and looking over the cups. “I just wanna get some food and have some fun before my appointment with Mr Soper.” She found her cup easily as they were all labeled with the students names, knocking the pills back with practiced ease.

 

As all the girls chuckled a bit more quietly, Van frowned. “Gggguuuysss!”

 

To be fair though, Zero didn’t think too badly of Bert. While he had nothing diagnosed himself, his little brother had a horrible case of separation anxiety. Their parents worked a lot and Freddie was often left to Berts care. Even though Bert wasn’t very good, he did try most of the time… some of the time. He had moved to a new school for his little brother, even moving into the dorms to help transition. The plan was that next year Bert would only visit on weekends. So long as Freddie had recovered enough. The kid was also selectively mute and spoke only to Bert.

 

Even if Bert was an ass, he wasn’t as much of an ass as he could have been. He was a bully but he never went after any symptoms or afflictions the other kids had. He never bugged Kathy for her Tourettes, or her ticks. He never bugged Trixie because of her OCD. That at least got him a passing grade in Zero’s books.

 

She chuckled at the red angry face Bert was making. Even if she didn’t think poorly of him, his behaviour also didn’t help her think highly of him. So ribbing him every once and awhile was not only fun, but also helped to remind him that he wasn’t the top dog around here.

 

Leaving out the dormitory door Zero walked to the playground where Vin and Newton were waiting. Both waved to her lazily.

 

“Hey Zero.” Newton smiled sleepily. “Vin and I were just saying we should all do something together. Like a board game!”

 

“Sounds good, do we do it before or after our appointments with Mr Soper?” Zero asked.

 

“I dunno. He can run kinda late with all his sessions.” Vin sighed. “But doing it before can interrupt the game for awhile.”

 

“Gotta love Private Therapy Saturday.” Zero said.

 

“Second only to Group Therapy Monday.” Vin added jokingly.  

 

There was a clatter as the rest of the students filed out of the dorm building, Mr Sopper right behind. Trixie walked over to them, looking a bit perturbed.

 

“Whats the matter Trixie?” Vin asked, leaning over the bars a bit.

 

“Well, Mr Sopper came back and kept handing out medication, but he noticed a few of the cups had pills that shouldn’t be in them, and some were missing theirs. I think when Bert bumped the table and spilled some of the cups, Freddie may have put them away wrong.” Trixie said, worried. “He fixed it for us, but then I remembered you’d just took yours Zero, without Mr Sopper checking it for a mix up…”

 

Zero blinked, but choose to scoff in response. “I didn’t notice anything off. Besides what's one extra or missing pill gonna do? My dosage is being lowered now, so I’ll just be back to normal or a little more cranky.”

 

“Unless its a pill your not supposed to take?” Newton suggested.

 

“If it was in those cups then their safe for consumption. Somebody was gonna take it anyway.”  Zero shrugged.

 

“Well I think we should tell Mr Soper, just in case.” Trixie stated, crossing her arms.

 

Zero peered across the yard to Mr Sopper, who was talking to a few of the students. Despite it being only nine in the morning he already looked tired… “No. I don’t wanna bug him. I mean he has to do all the private sessions today. He doesn't need something small like this floating over his head.”

 

“But-”

 

“Look Trixie. If I start to act really strange then tell Mr Soper. I mean, we don’t even know if I got another pill or not.” Zero scowled. “Why make him worry if nothings actually wrong?”

 

Trixie opened her mouth, thought for a moment, then sighed. “Fine, but I’m watching you like a hawk.”

 

“We’ll all keep an eye on her. For now I think it's time for breakfast!” Vin smiled, pointing to the students being lead by Mr Sopper to the mess hall.

 

“Pancake day for me!” Newton shouted excitedly as he took off, all of them following after.

 

* * *

 

The Mess hall at Pinkerton was an interesting place. It was almost like a steel dinner with wheels. Inside were tables in a variety of sizes, along with a large machine call the Cook-O-Matic. It was designed to make separate dishes for all the kids of Pinkerton, and to keep them healthy.

 

It was created by a man named Poka Inochi. Zero had met him prior to Pinkerton’s opening. She was under Mr Soper’s care as a ward of the state because he was the only psychologist she had made a positive response to. He had gotten permission to take her to Japan while he and his friend Poka were working on the machines for the school. Getting there had been difficult, as she was terrified of riding in vehicles after the car accident, but after getting there she had discovered a taste for all sorts of things. Like interior design, martial arts and food.

 

Speaking of it was Oyakodon day for Zero. Kind of a chicken, egg and rice dish in a bowl. It was one of the first breakfast dishes she got while in Japan and it was still a favorite. She and her friends found a table to sit at, and Zero started to scarf down her meal, listening to her friends talk.

 

“Man, I should have pressed your button on the Cook-O-Matic today Newton. Those pancakes smell good.” Vin stated, looking over the redhead's plate just a little enviously. Vin himself had porridge today with brown sugar and cinnamon.

 

“Were not allowed to get other meals Vin. It could mess with our medication.” Trixie frowned. “Remember?”

 

“Yeah, yeah. No Sampling from other people’s plates.” Vin sighed. “I was just saying his food looked good Trixie. My porridge is still tasty.” He took a big mouthful to prove it.

 

“Well I just wanted to be sure.” Trixie said, scooping up more of her yogurt and berries. “You know how you get when you put your mind to something.”

 

Vin shrugged, still shoveling his oatmeal. Newton was engrossed in eating as well, but his eyes drifted a bit before locking in on Trixie’s hands. “What happened?”

 

“Oh.” Trixie looked down at her hands, a little embarrassed. They were now bandaged up, though they still smell strongly of antibacterial gel. “I had a little set back this morning. Nothing to worry about…”

 

“Rubbed them raw huh?” Vin asked, looking concerned.

 

“I just got lost in our book report and didn’t notice how far gone I got. Not until Mr Soper came in…” Trixie sighed and tilted her her to Zero. “Zero had to call him up early.”

 

“Aww, we all have it happen sometimes Trixie.” Vin said with a simper. “Sometimes I freak out if I’m left alone long enough. Zero has nightmares. Newton gets lost in his own little world. We all have something like that here.”

 

“I know, it's just embarrassing when it happens.” Trixie sighed.

 

“Well there is nothing to be embarrassed about.” Mr Soper said as he walked to their table. “Difficulty is found on all paths in life.”

 

“Hey Mr Soper. We still on this afternoon?” Vin asked.

 

“Of course. Just come in when I call your name on the PA, as usual.” Mr Soper smiled. “Speaking of, Trixie, I wanted to let you know I mixed my schedule up a bit so you and I can have the first meeting.”

 

“Oh, you didn’t have to do that.” Trixie mumbled.

 

“Nonsense. We should look over your paper and talk.” Mr Soper said. “Come by at ten and we can get started. Just don’t forget your report, ok.”

 

“Yes sir.” Trixie agreed as the man left for his office.

 

“Don’t worry Trixie, Mr Soper will have this all sorted out.” Vin smiled. “He’s the best.”

 

“He is. I just hate causing trouble for him.”  Trixie said softly.

 

Zero frowned, looking down at her food. She ideally heard Newton try his hand at cheering Trixie up, and looked past the group into space. It was just for a second but-

 

“Ah!” Zero gasped, choking on her food a bit. Her friends all jumped, looking at her wildly.

 

“Wh-what?” Newton asked, frightened.

 

Zero coughed, clearing her airways before looking up. “I just… over there! B-by… Vans… table.”

 

They were gone. For a split moment, Zero though she saw her pradedushka… Or Great Grandfather in English… He had been standing by the window, staring at her, but she knew he was long since dead.

 

“What about Van’s table?” Trixie asked, looking over her shoulder.

 

“I…” Zero shook her head. “I… Nothing. Though I saw something but it was just a trick of the light.”

 

She hoped it was.

 

Trixie looked back at Zero with a raised brow, but nothing more was said.

 

* * *

_“Praskchur?”_

 

_An old man sat in a chair on the farm house deck. It rocked back and forth as the man looked out over his farmland, smoking a cigar lazily._

 

_“Dah, malysh.” He responded in his deep raspy voice, not turning to look at her._

 

_The white haired girl waived in the doorway before stepping out. She was wearing an old hoodie that was far too large for her, so much so it was more like a dress. Her hair was messy and unkempt and her face had touches of dirt. Her left cheek sported an angry red mark._

 

_“Why doesn't Leta like me?”_

 

_The man took a deep breath of his cigar, blowing the black smoke into the air._

 

_“Because she dose not.” He shrugged._

 

_“Oh.” The little girl looked at her bare feet quietly._

 

_“Leta is like a wolf my malysh.” Her Great grandfather started, making her look up. “She takes, she dose not give.” He took another puff. “I would suggest you stop trying to win her affection, and instead make distance.” He looked over his shoulder a bit. “You are, how you say, too good for her.”_

 

_The little girl blinked, confused. “T-too good?”_

 

_“Meh.” He waved his hand with a scoff. “Never mind. Go play on your swing.”_

 

_The little girl looked to the tire swing quietly. “Leta doesn't like it when I go outside.”_

 

_“Leta is not here now. She visits boyfriend in town. Go play.” He said stiffly, smoking again._

 

_The little girl smiled a bit before hopping off the deck and running down the hill to her swing, not bothering with shoes. She hoped in and looked back at her Praskchur-_

 

“ZERO!”

 

Zero jolted, looking to Vin wildly. “Huh?!”

 

“Its your turn!” The boy said, pointing to the game of Life board before them. Zero blinked but spun the spinner and moved her piece.

 

“Wow! Another baby for you! Thats like, your seventh one!” Newton chuckled. The white car piece had run out of seats by now, but Newton lay the new little pink figure between its new family members. Zero stared at it.

 

Why had that memory come up? It was the last memory she had of her Praskchur back when she was five… he died a few days later and Leta wouldn’t let her attend the funeral. It was the first death she had ever dealt with and it still felt a little unresolved, even though Mr Soper found the grave site and took her there last year…

 

Was it because she caught a glimpse of him this morning? It had never happened before… She watched Newton take his turn, moaning when his piece landed on a car break down square. Vin laughed and spun his turn, Zero looking away again… The weather was so nice they had decided to play the game outside, rocks held the cards in place for them and they found a table by a wall to block the wind for the most part. They were very close to the classroom and woodlands that Pinkerton had within its walls.

 

Zero’s eyes drifted to the woods, scanning the brush for animals ideally, when she froze.

 

The figure of a man stood in the far back of the tree line. It was hard to make him out amongst the trunks of the trees but she could see him. At first she wondered who it was. Why would a man come to Pinkerton and hide out in the forest? It clearly wasn’t one of the kids, he was too tall… Was it some kind of weirdo?

 

The wind whistled and branches swayed, allowing sunlight to filter through and Zero could have screamed.

 

It was Bill. What was Bill doing here?! Mr Soper said he was in jail!

 

It was difficult to breath.

 

Bill looked just like he did the last time she saw him. Greasy, long brown hair, dark eye and his unshaven six o’clock shadow. He appeared to be wearing the same outfit he had on before Leta took Zero out with her on that final, terrifying ride to buy smokes. If the cops hadn’t tried to pull Leta over they may not have run and crashed, but then Zero might still be living with her awful mother and her… boyfriend Bill.

 

Bill hadn’t moved and neither had Zero. Had he escaped? Was he here to take her away? Or to hurt her for putting him in jail in the first place? Zero couldn’t lie and say these ideas didn’t frighten her.  As she and Bill had their strange little stare off she started to feel nauseous…

 

Then Vin blocked her view with his head. “Zero! Its your turn again!”

 

Zero jumped a bit, surprised, but tried to look around Vin wildly. However when she looked again, Bill was gone…

 

“Zero? Are you ok?” Newton asked, worried.

 

“What? Yeah I’m… ok…” Zero muttered, scanning the woodland frantically, but Bill had disappeared. “Though I saw…”

 

“Are you sure?You look really… scared?” Newton said uncertainty.

 

“I’m not scared!” Zero spat quickly, startling the shorter boy. Zero swallowed and looked back at the trees. Had Bill really been there or was it another hallucination? Was she feeling unsafe because of what she had seen or was it just her decrease in pills? The uncertainty wasn’t helping this feeling… Nausea getting worse..

 

Vin leaned over the table, squinting at her face. “Zero… your eyes are all weird.” He frowned deeply.

 

“Weird?” Zero echoed.

 

“Their like quarters.” Vin said quickly. “Like the black circle is really big and you can’t see any blue…”

 

“They’re very dilated.” Newton agreed.

 

“I feel fine…” Zero muttered.

 

“Yeah, but you're seeing things!” Vin argued.

 

“The pills, maybe she did take an extra one and its messing with her!” Newton said, looking between the two rapidly, shaking a little. “She could be sick!”

 

“I’m fine… I mean, I’m a little nauseous…” Zero muttered.

 

“Nauseous?!” Vin blinked, frowning deeply. He snorted a bit before slamming his hands on the table, making the game pieces jump as well as both his friends. “Thats it!” He started to get off his chair.

 

“What’s it?” Newton asked, nervous.

 

“I’m going to get Mr Sopper so he can check Zero.” Vin stated.

 

“I’m fine!” Zero grunted.

 

“No your not!” Vin responded, rounding on her. “Your seeing things, your stomachs upset and your acting paranoid. Your not ok.”

 

Zero wished she could have contradicted him, to however the contrary it was clearly becoming. Then her nervous, knotted stomach heaved and Zero actually threw up in her mouth a bit. It hadn’t happened for a long time, the last time her anxiety got her stomach so churred like this was just after the car accident in the hospital. Zero managed to swallow it again, trying not to gag on the acidic taste, but she knew the boys could tell why she had been so quiet. Zero quickly tried to wipe the line of escaped, oddly coloured spit form the corner of her mouth.

 

Vin shook his head. “You stay here with her Newton. I’ll run for Mr Sopper!”

 

“But-!” Newton didn’t get much else out before Vin took off. Once he had rounded the corner and was out of sight, Newton wilted, glancing to Zero wearily. “Ok… Zero?”

 

“Yeahhh?” Zero mumbled out.

 

“Plllleeeeaase don’t die while I’m watching you!” Newton yelped. He blinked a few times before spasming. “I MEAN! DON'T DIE AT ALL! I didn’t mean- I just-!”

 

“Not planning to.” Zero responded, putting her head down on the table wearily.

 

What a mess.

 

“H-hey! Hey!”

 

Zero looked up to see Ben running over to them. He was sweating and looked panicked. “Zero! I need your help!”

“Ben?” Zero grunted, holding her head. It wasn’t unusual that the other kids would ask her for help, Zero knew Pinkerton better than anyone else, beside Mr Soper at least. She had been here since before it even opened and had time to explore the grounds, finding secret rooms and back entry ways. Usually other kids just had things locked in the classroom and needed them out while Soper was busy.

 

Which it turns out was exactly what Ben was here for. “I-I forgot my stuffie in the classroom yesterday! I managed the night without it but I’m really getting twitchy. Can you get it out?!”

 

Zero raised a brow. “You made it through the night without your cat?”  She knew Ben had horrible anxiety, that fact that he went so long without his comfort object astounded her. He took it everywhere he went. Mr Sopper was trying to wean him of it, slowly but surely. Kid could now go the the bathroom and eat meals without it. However a whole night.

 

“I-it was tough, but I managed.” He huffed, eyes darting. “Pllleease though! I can’t make it until Mr Sopper has time!”

 

Had Zero been more in the moment, she would have found his body language and tone to be unusual. Only she was nauseous and starting to get a slight headache.  She wasn’t in the shape to notice anything. Yet even if she was feeling so shitty she wasn’t about to let Ben down. She could get the toy out easily. Sickly or not.

 

“I’ll grab it.” She mumbled, sliding out of her seat.

 

“But Zero, your not feeling well!” Newton said quickly, getting up as well.

 

“I’m well enough to grab a stupid toy Newton.” Zero snapped, unhappy to be treated so childishly. She started to walk towards the classroom building and she can tell the two boys are following behind hesitantly.

 

“She’s not feeling well?” Ben asked softly so Zero could just barely hear.

 

“We think she might have taken the wrong medication this morning… We’re not sure though-”

 

“THANK YOU  Newton.” Zero ground out unhappily. They both fell silent.

 

They came to the door quietly, Zero easily jimming the vent on the door to open up the classroom. “Stay out here, I’ll be one second.” She said, easing her way in.

 

“Uh Zero-!” Ben started to speak and when she looked up he paused, eyes darting again.

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Mmmm… Thanks for this.” Ben muttered, hands clenched together, eyes down. Newton eyed him suspiciously, but Zero’s fuzzy mind figured there was nothing she should be worried about. After all it was Ben. Ben never did anything outrageous or stupid.

 

“No big deal.” She shrugged and went in, shutting the vent behind her.

 

She crept through the dark classroom, looking for Ben’s seating area. The room was surreal when it was empty, windows allowing in the only light. The tree the classroom was built around stood tall and silent, looming.

 

Zero tired to ignore the shadows dancing in the corners of her vision. However when she did that she missed the cord tired across the entry at foot level. She tripped, yelping when she did so, rolling to the floor. She heard something zipping and when she rolled over a large figure was falling down towards her.

 

“AH-!” She started to scream, but stopped when she realised it was a just the classroom’s skeleton , tied to a rope. She panted, looking up at in confusion, but confusion turned to rage. Ben wouldn’t have the guts to do this. However Ben would lure her in here if Bert forced him to.

 

She snarled, she was going to get him for this. She forced the skeleton off her and got to her feet, dusting herself off. That jerk! She was gonna coat hanger him but good! As she went to go back outside, ready to ask Ben a few hard questions, a noise came from the far side of the room. She turned but found nothing there.

 

Maybe Bert was hiding in here to see her face.

 

She scowled, well now she could get some quick revenge in. She stalked down to the middle of the room angrily. “Come out here!” She shouted. “I know you here!!”

 

The room was silent.

 

She squinted into the darkness, looking for movement, until she saw some at the end of the room. She marched up the stairs, already rolling up her sleeves. “Alright Bert, you ready to pay up!”

 

However when she got to the top there was no Bert. There was someone there though as she could make out a hand in the darkness, but it was too feminine. Zero stalled at this. “Van?” She asked, wondering if the girl could have done such a thing. The hand seemed to claw out in a dragging motion, pulling more of itself from behind the desk.

 

Around its wrist was a white watch.

  


Zero stumbled back, breath caught when the figure kept brokenly crawling out from behind the desk, until a head of strawberry blonde hair caked in dried blood peeked out, head twisted sickeningly and eyes glinting through the rats nest.

 

Leta.

 

Zero screamed this time, blood curdling. She backed away but the mass of limbs that was her dead mother started to speed up after her, blood trailing behind it on the floor. Zero couldn’t take the sight of her and just threw up, puke puddling before her and dribbling down her hoodie.

 

“Try and steal HIm from me….” The figure gurgled through blood, the backward hand on her other arm reaching. “Teach you, brat-”

 

“NO!” Zero turned and ran down the steps, frantic to get out. She went for the door of the classroom, trying to open it but finding it barricaded on the other side.

 

“Whats the matter zero? Scared of the dark!?” Bert asked from the other side, she could hear Newton yelling wordlessly behind him.

 

“Open the door!” She shouted, shaking it with all her might. It didn’t budget.

 

“Guess your not so tough after all!” The boy laughed.

 

“-No whe- hide.” The voice squirted out just behind her. Zero turned and shook when the ‘creature’ was nearly at her heels.

 

“Get away from me!!” Zero screeched, frantically going around her to find another way out.

 

“Do be such a drama queen zero-” She didn’t hear what else Bert said, as she left the door behind her, looking for an exit. The windows were all unopenable. The fire exit locked, with only Sopper and MacBeth having the key, because they weren’t supposed to be in here alone. The thing was sliding down the stairs in a waterfall of blood when Zero chose to go up. She latched onto the tree, scaling it in panic.

 

“Useless- you ruin everything~” The monster said, voice grinding in its throat on broken glass and swallowed teeth.

 

“STOP IT!” She shouted tearfully, managing to the first branch at least a story off the ground. She had managed to climb the bark by adrenaline alone. She looked down, the room weavering in vision, but the figure was clear, brokenly starting to go up after her!  She threw up again, mostly acid this time, her stomach knotting. As usual once she started to throw up she couldn’t stop. After her time in the hospital so long ago she had thrown up so much out of stress that it had injured her lower esophageal sphincter. Once it began she couldn’t stop dry heaving for a few hours…

 

“Teach you-” Leta’s body choked out, getting closer and closer by the second. “-try and steal my b-riend-”

 

“I didn’t want him!! He forced himself on me!” Zero screeched, going higher.

 

“Always taking shit f- me!” The hand grasped the branch Zero had just been on, but she was already two up by then.

 

“Keep Bill. Just keep him.” Zero whimpered. However a she was now a good two stories up and had run out of room. The only other way to keep going was through the window. She slammed her shoulder on it, branch shaking under her. “I hate him!”

 

The window was budging open, inch by inch until she finally pushed her way through.  The pane making enough room to crawl out, but still not fall to the ground. Zero looked back fearfully, but Leta had paused, dull, listless eyes glinting up from the darkness below. Head bent round the the wrong way.

 

Zero swallowed. “I know you only kept him away from me because you were jealous.” She whispered tightly. “I know you didn’t really care about me, but you saved me from him so many times…” She shook, angry and scared. “Its the only good thing you ever did for me… So please just leave me alone…”

 

Her mother's ghost, squinted. “I’ll kill you.”

 

Zero started to shimmy out the window slowly. Leta’s phantom now climbing again. A gnarled, claw like hand getting closer to her level. Zero heft herself out, using her elbow to cling to the window frame as she tried to think. Her mind a muddled, drug laced mess. The building was sloped near the top, but it quickly evened out to a  free fall. There were no trees out here to grab onto. She released the branch inside, leaves falling off at the rough movement. The window frame was sharp and painful to hold with her hand, her coat hardly buffering for her elbow.

 

Leta was slinking closer and Zero was frantic, shaking in fear.

 

“ZERO!”

 

The girl looked down through the window beside her wildly, seeing Mr Sopper in the classroom bellow. He looked horrified.

 

Did he see Leta to?”

 

“She won’t stop!” Zero shouted to him, feet scrambling for purchase on the glass. “Keep her away!”

 

Mr Sopper paused, staring at her before forcefully taking a calming breath. “Its ok! Just don’t let go! I need to get a ladder!”

 

“She’s too close!” Zero responded, watching Leta raised to the branch right beside her. Distently she heard the school’s emergency alarm sound, telling students to go back to their rooms. Mr Sopper only used that when he need to focus all his attention on someone in serious distress. The last time it had been sounded was when  Hector trashed the entertainment room in a now rarely seen rage. They had been watching the movie Two Brothers and he went ballistic at one scene.

 

What could she say, kid loved animals.

 

The other kids basically ran out of the room, especially when the tv was pushed off its table and crashed to the floor. Two hours of waiting in their room later Mr Sopper had everything under control. Though it was another movie added to the banned entertainment list. Like all the Zombie movies Zero liked to watch.

 

Zero looked up into Leta’s dead face as the body dragged closer. Blood and some kind of black fluid dripping out her mouth and down her face. The girl looked desperately for Mr Sopper, but he was gone from the classroom. Her arms were really starting to hurt.

 

“Zero!” Looking behind her, Zero saw Ms McBeth scowling up at her from the outside of the classroom. She tapped her shoes on the cement alley behind the building angrily. “What are you doing?!”

 

Zero stared at her. Her eyes might have been unsettling as McBeth winced at her gaze. It didn’t help afterward that Zero threw up again on herself slightly.

 

“You are in a lot of trouble! Oh I cannot wait, the lines you’ll have to write! One trillion times, I will not go up on the roof like the pathetic trouble maker I am! In Cursive! Oh it's diabolical!” She rubbed her hands together. “Once Sopper is back with that ladder and has you down, you're mine! You hear me?! Mine!”

 

Zero couldn’t look back in the classroom, she could almost feel Leta’s breath. “Ms Mcbeth…” She whimpered, hoping even this woman could do something. “Please don’t let her hurt me!”

 

“What?!” McBeth blinked, confused and oddly a little concerned.

 

“Don’t let her hurt me!” Zero shouted, slipping farther down the window. “Don’t let Leta hurt me!”

 

“Leta?” McBeth echoed.

 

“Shoul-done this lon- ago.” A voice whispered in Zero’s ear. The white haired girl turned, eyes inches from Leta’s. “Never get away f- me. I’ll take you with m- forever-” Mangled hands reached for her.

 

The world was a blurr.

 

Zero remembered letting go of the window. Slipping down and descending to the ground. She hit the covered walkway’s roof between the classroom and main building roughly, then the edge of the roof,but before landing on the concrete below someone softened the blow, trying to catch her. She basically fell right into their chest, both of them toppling to the ground.

 

“Ahhh!” McBeth yelled. “Zero! You just about crushed me!” The woman pushed the girl off her and stood, panting. “What were you thinking?!”

 

Zero looked past her teacher to the window, but Leta was there, starting to crawl out. “No…” She moaned softly. Maybe Leta was right. She could never get away from her.

 

But hell if she couldn’t try.

 

Zero tried to get up but her body responded sluggishly, pain vibrating from every part of her being.

 

“Zero, your head is bleeding.” McBeth commented, trying to push her back to the ground. “I won’t have you putting Child Neglect charges on me if that's what your trying!!”

 

“Keep her away…” Zero whimpered.

 

“Well I never! I’m trying to save your life you little worm!” McBeth snapped.

 

“Keep Leta away…” Zero sobbed, still trying to crawl back.

 

“We a- the same.” Leta’s voice garbled down to them. “Brok-en..” Zero’s widened when she realized that was what her mother wanted. She wanted to break her like she believed Zero did to her.

 

“It was your fault! You crashed the car!” Zero screamed, McBeth jumping back from her.

 

“What!?” McBeth asked surprised.

 

“Stay away!” Zero forced a burning arm behind her, something dripping down her face and her back groaning angrily at her. “I hate you! Stay away!!” The alarm was still blaring, making her headache worse. “I HATE YOU!!” Something wrapped around her head and eyes tightly. She panicked, especially when an arm wrapped around her middle, keeping her in place. “AHHH!” She screeched, biting the arm around her, tasting blood in her mouth. Yet it didn’t let go, or strike back, it just keeps holding her no matter how deep her teeth went.

 

“Everything's ok Zero. Your ok, everything is fine.” Mr Sopper’s voice was close,  the arm over her carefully made her lay back down, Zero still attached. “Don’t be scared, everything's ok.”

 

“Cosmo she’s taking a pound of flesh out of your arm!”

 

“She’s confused and scared and high out of her mind!” The man responded.

 

“Do you want me to get the tranquilizer?” McBeth asked.

 

“No! We don’t know what's in her system, it could kill her.” Mr Sopper snapped. “Call an ambulance.”

 

“Right.” Zero could hear someone typing into a phone over the alarm.

 

“Zero, listen to me. I need you to stop biting me. Please stop biting me.” Mr Sopper spoke calmly to her, voice slightly tense in pain and worry. Zero shuttered, confused. Was she biting him? She was biting Leta right? Leta had grabbed her…

 

Zero pulled back, the copper taste still thick in her mouth. She heard Mr Sopper groaned, but his arm remained around her body. “Thank you…”

 

“Don’t let her get me…” Zero moaned weakly, body still burning.

 

“What?” Mr Sopper shifted behind her. “Who?!”

 

“This Leta she's been yelling about, trying to get her.” Mr McBeth said nearby. “She hasn’t shut up about- You don’t know where Pinkerton is?! What kind of lowly, useless maggot-”

 

She kept yelling at the operator on the phone and Mr Sopper heaved a heavy breath tiredly. “Zero… Leta is dead. She is not here.”

 

“She was trying to break me!” Zero cried. “She’s coming down the wall, out of the window!!”

 

“Zero-”

 

“She’s all twisted and bleeding!!!” Zero shouted.

 

“They’ll be less than five minutes.” McBeth spoke, standing nearby.

 

“Go open the gates. Once they arrive point them to this location, then check on the other children.” Mr Sopper said quickly.

 

“I- Yes. Alright.” Ms McBeth didn’t argue for once about being in charge of the other kids and walked off.

 

Zero struggled a little, the pain making it hard to hold still in Sopper’s grip. “Don’t let her get me…” Zero moaned. “She’s so close! I saw her!”

 

“I won’t.” Mr Sopper gave her a squeeze. “I won’t, I promise Zero. She will not do anything to you.”

 

Zero whined. The thing wrapped around her eyes and head was getting wet and heavy and she didn’t know why.

 

“Are you feeling any pain in your feet Zero? Can you move them or feel anything at all?”

 

Her legs did hurt. She ground both her heels into the dirt to check them, muscles creaking. However something else bothered her more. “My back and head hurt…”

 

“Your going to be ok. The paramedics are coming. Just try and stay calm.” Mr Sopper said. Zero just huffed and puffed tiredly in his arms, body shaking uncontrollably.

 

“I hate hospitals…” She moaned.

 

“Zero just please try and let them do their work. I know you hate it but you need to go.” Mr Sopper sighed. “I’ll be there at every opportunity, it won’t be like the last time.”

 

“They’ll lock me up in the mental ward…” She whimpered.

 

“It will not be like last time.” Mr Sopper insisted. “So long as you don’t harm anyone.”

 

They heard a siren wail and quickly get closer. Soon she heard people hurrying over.

 

“What happened?” One of the paramedics asked.

 

“She’s ingested the wrong medication. It's made her nauseous, anxious and caused hallucinations. She just fell about two stories out of that window.” Mr Sopper explained, pointing over Zero’s head. “She has a history of hostility with medical personnel due to previous trauma in hospitals, you’ll need to restrain her for your safety.”

 

Zero knew she shouldn't feel betrayed, he had to be honest and make sure everyone knew what they were dealing with.  It just didn’t make her feel better when they lowered her on the gurney and started to strap her down. She did her best to not resist.

 

“Your doing good Zero. Your doing great.” Mr Sopper said.

 

“What time did she take the mistaken pills and what is her normal medication?” The paramedic asked. As Mr Sopper listed off drugs and time zones Zero felt the wrap over her head pull away. A man was looking over her injury, moving her head around softly to see the overall damage. She looked for Leta around his figure but couldn’t see the crumpled remains anywhere.

 

“We’re taking her to St Claire hospital on the corner of Underwood and Hodgson. She’ll have to undergo some blood tests and MRIs. Will you meet us there?”

 

“I’ll be right behind you.” Mr Sopper said, he looked at Zero and held her hand tightly. “Just relax in the ambulance Zero, they’re going to help you. Let them do what they need to do.”

 

“Ok.” Zero frowned, wincing when the gurney started to roll over the uneven concrete. When they loaded her into the ambulance she closed her eyes, trying to stop the pounding in her head.

 

“We need an Iv hook up and a blood sample for hand off. Snip her sleeve.” One of them ordered. Zere bit back a growl when they cut through her hoodie sleeve. She loved this hoodie! However she held her tongue as they cut it off, even when they jabbed the needle into her arm. Another medic was putting some cloth around her head to stop the bleeding.

 

“Zero we need you to open your eyes. We’re checking for a concussion.”

 

She did as she was told, wincing when they shone a light in her eyes. When instructed she tried to follow it when it moved.

 

“Reaction is slow. The eye are completely dilated but that could be the drugs.” The medic grunted, leaning away from her. Zero looked away from him to start peering around the cab.

 

She froze, not even breathing with her eyes wide when she saw Leta’s mangled corpse on the roof of the ambulance, staring down at her. She whimpered loudly and pressed deeper into the gurney.

 

Zero didn’t take her eyes off Leta the rest of the tense trip.

* * *

 

Mr Sopper sat inside his car quietly. It was almost midnight and he was about to leave the hospital for the first time in hours. He rubbed his head with a groan.

 

How could he have let this happen?

 

He foolishly hadn’t thought anything about the medication. Thankfully there hadn’t been a mix up and Zero had indeed taken the correct pills, it was just the pill Zero had taken were what caused today’s incident.

 

The governing body had recently cut costs and began to buy cheaper medication for his students. He wasn’t about to throw a fit about it though, times were hard and the medication worked as well as the name brand, he had no issues with that.  It was just he had opened a new bottle for Zero this morning and noticed the pills were strange looking. Zero had slown her intake as they lowered her dosage, so this was the first bottle he had opened of her no name brand of pills. He thought it was just a different style of casing and put it with the others in her cup.

 

After the doctors tested Zero’s blood they had sent some people to investigate the school. Mr Sopper had no idea what was happening for a few hours until a police investigator came to speak to him.

 

As it turns out some gangs in the area were using pill bottles to traffic drugs around the city, incognito. The no name brand he was given was the most popular containers used, as the cheap logo was easy to recreate and they were somehow mixed up with the real thing. The pills he had given Zero were a type of Deliriant. A drug known for causing lucid audio and visual hallucinations, loss of reality and anxiety. Anxiety that would be added to with Zero not getting her proper medication in the first place. However Deliriant was a very unpopular street drug. Users said it was like a tripping into a waking nightmare...

 

The police had opened a few other new containers. About five other bottles were the same drug hidden as prescription pills. He shuddered to think of what could have happened had he opened them first as well. Three of those bottles were pills that were prescribed to half the school.

 

The governing body was starting a full inquiry, as well as ordering name brand pills again. The last thing any of them wanted was a sick or possibly dead child on their hands. Mr Sopper groaned, setting his head on the steering wheel. This was a mess of a day.

 

Parents were calling in worry about their own children and the kids were worked up over the incident. The police had questioned them and they had seen the ambulance arrive, so they knew something bad had happened. McBeth was barely holding the fort down.

 

Then poor Zero was taken though the horror of seeing her abusive mother’s mangled corpse crawling after her in the classroom, chasing her up the tree and out a window. He had seen the pictures from the accident himself when he took her case. It must have been terrifying, not just seeing a body that destroyed crawling after you, but for it to be the body of an abuser you thought you were finally free of returned from the grave…

 

He had been allowed to see her as they wheeled her into the MRI room. The drug was reaching its peak and she was shaking, eyes wide and bloodshot. They had administered a safe sedative only moments ago as they had to do some research to find one. She was muttering, eyes darting around the room.

 

When he got closer to talk to her she seemed convinced that Bill, her mother’s old boyfriend and a sexual predator, was in the hallways, waiting to exact his revenge on her for testifying in court against him, putting him behind bars. The man had attempt to molest Zero multiple times, but was always stopped by Zero’s mother Leta, though the woman actually got it in her head that Zero was trying to steal him rather than the man forcing himself on the girl.

 

Really it broke his heart to see her so worked up over it, mostly because if Bill ever did escape his correctional facility, that's likely what he may attempt. He hated to see the children in his care having to deal with such issues they were far too young to face. Yet he promised Zero he’d keep her safe from Bill while she was put into the machine.

 

With the state she was in, logic had no place. He just need to say he believed her and that he would protect her from the horrors her mind conjured. As she was loaded into the machine Mr Sopper stood in the scanning room with a technician.

 

“We’re pretty lucky.” The younger man whispered as the test started up. “Most people who come in on hallucinogens like her who need an MRI think the machine is a giant meat grinder.”

 

Cosmo focused on steadying his breathing at the thought.

 

He tired to think back to earlier that day instead, wondering if he could have caught some of the symptoms in time before Zero had gone so far.

 

_He had been in his session with Trixie when the door was knocked on. Vin coming inside quickly. “Mr Sopper we have a problem…” The boy frowned, walking into the room._

 

_Trixie seemed to understand before Sopper did, as she frowned to. “She got worse didn’t she?”_

 

_“Yeah…” Vin nodded._

 

_“Whats going on? Whats happened?” Cosmo had asked, looking between the two on his chair._

 

_“We think Zero got the wrong medication this morning, but she didn’t want to bother you when you were busy.” Trixie explained. “She made us promise not to tell you unless she got sick.”_

 

_“She seeing things now and I think she threw up a little in her mouth.” Vin added, looking back at the door._

 

_Clearly it was serious, so he had the two take him to Zero. However when they arrived at the game area Zero had been at, it was deserted._

 

_“Wheres Newton. He was watching her!” Vin frowned._

 

_“Maybe Zero ran off and he went after her.” Trixie offered._

 

_Either way it wasn’t good. He had taken them down the path, looking for the white haired girl, when they came upon Bert holding the classroom doors closed and Hector keeping Newton pinned to the ground. Fred standing at his brother’s side_

 

_“Boys! What are you doing?!” He asked angrily. The kids all jumped when they heard him._

 

_“N-nothing Mr Sopper.” Bert muttered. “We just ah-”_

 

_“They locked Zero in the classroom! Tricked her to go inside to prank her!” Newton shouted as the boys were forced to release him._

 

_“Boys is that true?” Sopper asked, disappointed in them._

 

_“W-well…” Bert pouted a little._

 

_“She’s not feeling well!” Vin scowled._

 

_“I said that to them five times!” Newton snapped. “She’s been yelling in there for a few minutes now!”_

 

_Sopper pushed by the boys carefully, giving them a stern look, before he unlocked the door. “Stay out here, we’ll sort this out in a moment.” He said evenly, going inside._

 

_The room was quiet and there was no sign of Zero. He noted the trip wire and skeleton with a sigh and went deeper into the room. Noting a smell he realized someone had thrown up on the steps. He went to the middle of the room as a vantage point, and he could hear movement. Glancing over the desks he paused when a few leaves fell from the tree over him._

 

_Slowly he looked up to find Zero hanging out a window near the roof of the building. Eyes dilated to a near encompassing black pupil, her hoodie hit with specks of puke. She was crying hard and kept saying something was after her._

 

_He didn’t hesitate to press the alarm and run to get a ladder._

 

_“Whats going on?!” Vin asked, all the kids outside the door frozen when the alarm sounded. “Is Zero ok?!”_

 

_“Rooms! Now! Hurry!” He ordered, and managed to watch them run for the dorms without question, before heading for the utility room as fast as he could.  He pulled out his phone when it rang._

 

_“Mr Sopper, what is going on?!” Ms McBeth shouted. “This alarm is ringing-”_

 

_“Emergency! Zero is on the roof of the classroom building! Go keep an eye on her! I’m getting a ladder!” He said and hung up without waiting for a response._

 

_He was thankful at the time that  Zero had left out a window facing away from the dorm building. He didn’t want to scare the other kids with the sight. He could just see her when he came out with the ladder, praying it was long enough. He hurried across the grounds, trying to keep the long ladder steady as he went. Only when he looked up again, Zero wasn’t hanging out the window any longer._

 

_That caused him to swear loudly, something he never did, and drop the ladder, still running back towards the classroom. As he got closer he could hear shouting, only able to understand it when he was about to round the corner._

 

_“-the car!!” Zero was screaming, but her voice was strained and shaky. Emotional._

 

_“What?!”  McBeth shouted and Sopper felt a small amount or relief. He was thankful Zero wasn’t alone, even if he knew McBeth wasn’t the most empathetic person. However even she sounded worried._

 

_He rounded the corner and saw Zero curled on the concrete, her upper limbs trying to drag herself away from McBeth and the building. Blood was pouring a river down from her forehead and the back of her head was bleeding as well, pinkening her hair there. Ms McBeth was trying to keep her still, but looked afraid to touch her incase Zero lashed out._

 

_“Stay away!” Zero screamed, hands clawing cement. Eyes wild and unfocused. “I hate you! Stay away!!”_

 

_Sopper ripped his vest off and ran over, Ms Mcbeth backing away when she saw him. He wrapped the vest around Zero’s bleeding head wounds, trying to compress them and put his arm around her to keep her still. He didn’t like that she wasn’t using her legs and it worried him that she may have a spinal injury from the fall._

 

_However in her state Zero flipped, frightened of the unknown figure grabbing her so tightly, making her want to defend herself. So she bit him…_

 

Still in his car Cosmo looked at his forearm wearily, the bite wound having taken eight stitches to close. Not that it was her fault. If anything he may have deserved it. If he had noticed the Logo was off or questioned the pills… followed his gut feeling when he first saw them. Zero and the other kids trusted him to do the right thing and protect them from harm. Now he had failed them.

 

Zero was resting back inside the building. Still coming off her sedative and tethered to her hospital bed because she had a record for escape attempts and violent behavior. The drug lasted in her system for almost nine hours. Petering out around around six at night. By then she was exhausted and confused, not to mention anxious without her proper medication. It took a few hours for them to gather the correct prescription but they managed, though they up her dose now, almost double what it was before, due to the circumstances. However even as Zero drifted off to sleep, the nightmare finally over for her, the damage had been done.

 

She had a minor concussion and two head injuries. One from winging the back of her head on the covered walkway, the other was a cut on her forehead from the roof edging of the same walkway when she rolled off it. Doctors said she’d have likely split her head open on the cement had Sadie not tried to catch her. Or at least broken some bones. Already a few ribs were cracked.

 

Cosmo steadied his breathing. He needed to come back tomorrow, as well as tell the other kids what happened and call the parents who massaged him. Then overhaul his pill handout system and check the rest of his stock for contaminants. Not to mention the other kids needed their usual care…

 

It wasn’t an easy job. Many people, even parents of the children he helped, asked why he would do this work day in and day out. It was stressful and heart breaking at times.

 

Only he knew it was worth it. All he needed to do was look at Zero or Vin or Van or any of his other kids and remember how far they came. Zero was his first case for Pinkerton and she had gone from refusing to do anything but claw and bite at hospital staff, locked in her room at all times to a kind, wonderful young girl. It had taken days to even gain her trust, sitting a white room as she paced and yelled at him. Now she had friends, went to school and took an interest in culture and the disciplined sport of martial arts.

 

She had come a long, long way and while she did still have a long path of recovery in front of her, everyday she was making new strides.

 

Now he just had to keep it that way.


	2. Chapter 2

_The white haired girl sat in the corner of the bare room, knees pulled up and glowering darkly. She wasn't sure what to make of the man who had come inside her room. Other than that he was much bigger than Bill was. So far he had come in the room alone, which surprised her, and when she started to charge at him, to scare him out, like she did with all the other who came in, he just lay down on the floor._

_That had been almost an hour ago._

_He was still just laying on the floor. He did nothing when she nudged him with her foot or kicked him around the middle, so she just went as far away from him as she could and waited for him to act. She didn't really care if he was in the room if he wanted to leave her alone, she just wanted out._

_She had been in here forever._

_At least on the farm she could sneak out of her room for periods at a time. Here she was locked in all the time. With nothing but her mattress, clothes and some strange book they had given her. She looked down at it. The paper was super thin and she had ripped a few out to mess around and entertain herself. Then she tried counting how many letters she knew were inside._

_It got old fast._

_She squinted back at the man. She wasn't sure what he wanted but if he wanted the daybed or book then whatever. If he wanted to try the same stuff Bill had then she'd bite him. Just like she did the people who kept her locked in here._

_She swallowed before growling. "What do you want?" Her voice was gruff from only screaming and being silent the long while she had been here._

_The man's head tilted so he could look at her a bit. "Oh just enjoying the ceiling."_

_Her eyes darted to the plain ceiling tiles before scowling at him. "Those are outside to."_

_"True, but these ones also have company." The man shrugged. "Do you like company?"_

_"No." She snapped._

_"Oh, well would you like me to leave?" He asked._

_"You can stay." The girl grunted. "I want to leave."_

_He looked back at the ceiling. "I'd imagine. How long have you been in here?"_

_"I dunno, too long?" The girl sneered. "Since they first brought me here after a car accident and put my arm in that weird ,white rock thing."_

_"Thats about three months ago." The man muttered, he didn't sound happy._

_She wasn't either. "I want to go back home. I could at least have some kind of fun there."_

_"I'm afraid no one is going back there." He said, clearly thinking._

_"What?! What do you mean I'm not going back?" She asked. "For how long?!"_

_"You're never going back home, wherever that is." The man said, looking back at her. "It's not safe for you. "_

_"Who says?!"_

_"Oh a lot of people who think their very important." He seemed to chuckle to himself._

_"That's not fair!" The girl shouted, standing up angrily._

_"No its not, but that's how things work." He shrugged now._

_She immediately felt indignated. "What the hell!? These people don't give a shit about me before, but the minute I'm off the farm they all of a sudden just get to decide everything for me?!"_

_"To be fair it was more like the moment they realized you existed." He said._

_"Are you telling me I'm gonna spend the rest of my life in this room with nothing but that bed and this stupid thing?" She shouted, grabbing the book up and holding it out for him to see. He stared at it, then back at her._

_"Do you not know what that is?" He asked, shocked. "Can't you see the title?"_

_"Title? The hells a title?!" She asked grumpily, looking at the front of the book. "There a sheep on here."_

_"Can you read?" He asked._

_"Read?" She squinted at him._

_The man blinked and then let out a string of laughter. She snarled at him and threw the book at his stomach. "Don't laugh at me!"_

_He didn't react when the book hit him, but he seemed to force himself to calm down. "Oh- Oh I'm very sorry! Its just- That book had been said by many to be the greatest story ever written." He coughed out a few giggles. "They leave them in the rooms with people to comfort them, but you can't even read it or understand what it is."_

_"If its so good then why is the paper so thin? That's cheap material." The girl growled, snatching a ripped page she had._

_"The book is quite long. The thinner the paper the more they can fit inside." He explained._

_She scowled at the book where it landed in the corner. Yet she took her mind off it for the moment. "I don't want to be locked in here." She said sternly._

_"The people who work here don't want to be attacked and bitten." He responded, brow raised._

_"They started it!" She yelled. "They keep poking me with sharp things and make me eat smooth little rocks!"_

_"Smooth little- do you mean medication? Like pills?' He asked, looking dumbfounded._

_"If thats what they're called." She grumbled. "I don't want to eat rocks!"_

_"Their not rocks." He said calmly. "Their pills. Its something they're giving you to help with the pain you feel from your recovering injuries and to keep you calm."_

_"What about stabbing me?" She asked._

_"Needles. They've taken blood samples a few times. The others were to tranquilize you when you got too violent." He said._

_"What do they expect me to do!? I dunno what they want! I dunno what their doing!" She shouted. "It just hurts and I don't like it!"_

_The man paused, thoughtful. "That's a fair point as well."_

_"What?" She asked._

_"You don't have the context for what hospitals are like I suppose. You don't know what the staff are trying to do." He said._

_"I know about hospitals. I've seen them on tv with my black square things." She said._

_"You watched some show on VSH?" He questioned. "What do you know about hospitals?"_

_"Thats where the zombie virus outbreak usually happens." She said. "Or where you go to find out your husband has another wife when he gets injured and you both show up."_

_He stared at her. "Did you watch any other movies?"_

_"Some of them had these weird things. They were like these stuffed animals that you put on your hand and make it look like its talking? They try and teach you stuff I guess."_

_"You mean Sesame Street?"_

_"Yeah, thats what its called. I had a few of those." She nodded._

_"So you can count a little? Know you letters?"_

_"You mean like, ABCs? Yeah I can sing that song." She said._

_"How high can you count?"_

_"I dunno. One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six , Seven, Eight…., Nine…Ugh…" She squinted. "T-ten…? Ummmmmmm….." Then she snorted. "Thats as high as anyone needs to go. Who needs more then ten of anything?"_

_"Mmmhmm." The man hummed. "And how old are you?"_

_"Dunno." She grunted. "She said I was under eight. That wasn't recent though, I asked a long time ago. Like the last time it was summer."_

_The man frowned. "I see."_

_The girl walked over so she was standing over his head, looking down at him. "Do I really have to stay in here forever?" She asked._

_"No, but you need to prove you won't hurt anyone if you want to go out more." He said. "I'll tell you what. If you don't bite or kick or try and hurt anyone the next few times they give you your medication and take blood samples, I'll see if I can get you out more."_

_She stared down at him. "Why would you do that for me?" She asked suspiciously._

_"Well."The man smiled. "I just like to help people." He sat up and the girl backed away for a second. However he kept smiling. "My name is Cosmo Sopper. What is your name?"_

_The girl eyed him wearily. "... Call me Zero."_

* * *

The smell of antiseptic and bleach was stressful. It brought back so many memories of the mental ward she had spend a solid six month in, five of which was all in one room. It made her feet tingle and her hands clench the bed spread. Oh god she hated that smell, she hated hospitals, she HATED being tied up, SHE HATED-

Breath in, Breath out. You are in a forest. Breathe in the fresh mountain air…

She just smelt more antiseptic.

Zero opened her eyes, looking around the small room she was in. It was different from the one she had been in before. While smaller it was more open. The door going out to the hallway was left ajar and she had a tv. Though she was strapped to her bed by her wrists and ankles. They were loose enough the she could grab things off the side table or feed herself, but undoing her bindings wasn't an option. She was dressed in her pajamas, which Mr Sopper had gone to get for her last night.

A scream outside made her grimace, a pair of kids going by in their own pajamas.

She'd have likely taken the mental ward over the children's ward anyday. Most of these kid were pretty loud during the day and they tended to wonder. One tried to hide behind her door playing hide and seek yesterday, freaking her out as the drugs were still going out of her system.

Stupid drug peddlers.

The door creaked as a little girl ran in, crawling behind Zero's bed to hide there.

"What are you doing?" She frowned, leaning a bit to see her.

"Shh! They wanna give me another shot!" She whispered urgently.

"Your gonna get it one way or another." Zero huffed, laying back in the bed. She watched as a group of nurses hurried past her room, but said nothing to stop them.

The girl peeked over the bed once she knew they were gone. "What are you in for?" She asked.

"I…" Zero bit her lip. "I ugh, fell."

"Thats it?" The girl scoffed.

"I mean it was out a two story window after I took the wrong medication and slammed my head off a roof." Zero snapped. "If you want me to give you every single detail."

"Oh." The girl blinked. "I got bit by a squirrel and now I need rabie shots. They hurt!"

"Would you rather die of rabies?" Zero raised a brow.

"...No…" She whimpered.

"Then you should get your shot." Zero grumbled. The little girl's chin quivered as she looked down at the bed and Zero tried to ignore her. It was tough love and she seemed to need it.

"Eliza." An older nurse appeared at the door, hands on her hips as she came into the room. "Come out of there right now, we've been looking for you! You need your shot."

The little girl ran to her, sniffling. "I'm not gonna die am I?"

"What? No of course not." The nurse said sympathetically, while giving Zero a dirty look. "Come on let's go back to your bed." She took the girl away and Zero could make out her voice down the hall. "Stay away from that girl, she's not right in the head."

Zero scowled and looked to the window. She HATED hospitals.

Mr Sopper hadn't come by yet today and it was nearly three in the afternoon. Honestly though Zero didn't expect him to come back today. He said he would, but sometimes he had too much on his plate and couldn't follow through. He had a lot of responsibility and Zero couldn't blame him. She was the idiot that went up on the roof, thinking her dead mother was somehow alive and after her. She was stupid kid that fell.

She hoped his bosses weren't angry with him. It wasn't his fault at all… If Zero had maybe told him about their suspicions before…

She sunk down in the bed. Why should he come and see her? She had caused enough trouble for one lifetime.

The door creaked again and she looked up to see a doctor coming inside this time. He was looking over a chart with a frown. "Ugh, Malysh Doe?" He asked, wincing at his butchering tongue.

Zero rolled her eyes. "Call me Zero."

"Alright." He said, trying to not look relieved. "I just wanted to let you know that you have to stay under observation a day or so more. We need to make sure your concussion is stabilized and check your head wounds a little more but after that you should be good to go home."

Zero suppressed a groan. Another two nights here?! She hated this place so much. However she took another deep breath. "Ok."

He shifted his papers as he hummed. "Well why don't you go into the games room with the other kids for a bit, should give you some entertainment." He smiled, pointing out of the room.

"Can't." Zero said, lifting up her restrained limbs. "I have a history of violence and escapes. I need a couple more years before they can evaluate me and scrub it off my record, so I get to be chained up during my stays until then."

"Oh." He blinked. It should have been in her file. "Do you want me to grab something for you? A book? Some cards?"

"Something to draw with?" She requested.

"I'll bring it right in!" He said, turning to go.

His trip was short and he returned with the crafts supplies very quickly. Plain paper and a box of crayons. She gave him a quick thank you before he ran off and started to draw. He hands moved aimlessly and she sighed, trying to remember what she had seen.

It was blurry. She remember seeing her Praskchur in the lunch room then seeing Bill looming in the shadows of the forest. Finally the horrifying moments in the classroom where Leta's mangled corpse dragging itself after her, blood and black, oil like liquid dripping from her mouth.

"What are you drawing Zero?"

She jumped, looking up at Mr Sopper, who had suddenly appeared in her room, crayon jolting off the paper violently. He smiled sheepishly at her, rubbing the back of his neck . "Sorry I startled you! I thought you heard me come in."

"Its fine." She breathed, putting the crayon down.

He smiled at her and leaned over her shoulder. "So what are you drawing?"

Moving her hand she saw she had drawn something haunting. "I- it's what I saw in the classroom … I wasn't thinking when I drew it."

She wasn't the best artist but it looked like a creature from the Ring, most of the drawing was blackened, save for red blood and the small white of glinting eyes through hair. One hand reaching out toward the viewer.

Sopper hummed, sounding worried. "Well, better out than in as I say." He spoke softly, holding his hand out. She gave the picture over without question. She didn't want the staff to see it and think she was dangerous. Mr Sopper put it in his bag, making sure to not to bend it or fold it carefully. Likely to be added to the others in her file.

Zero looked Mr Sopper over, frowning at the bags under his eyes. "Are you ok?"

"Fine Zero, no need to worry." He said, smiling tiredly. "It's just been a long day."

Zero looked down at her bed quietly, picking at the bedding. "Maybe you should go back to Pinkerton and take it easy?"

"I can do that later on. I wanted to see how your feeling." He said, scooting a chair closer so he could sit in it. "Last time I saw you, you were so exhausted you could hardly keep your eyes open."

Zero frowned. After falling out of the window everything got too fuzzy to remember. Save for a few memories, like going into the MRI machine and them sewing her head shut.

"I'm fine, all thing considered." Zero muttered.

"Not feeling anxious or frightened?" Mr Sopper asked.

Zero almost puffed out her chest in indignation, but steadied herself. Mr Sopper was different. She didn't need to act all tough for him. He told her constantly that she didn't need to prove it, he knew she was strong. "Unnerved, maybe?" She shrugged. "I'm still trying to understand everything. Some stuff I don't even remember."

"Well that is understandable, given what you went through." Mr Sopper said, patting her bed. "Its important to remember though that, while it wasn't real, it felt real at the time. You shouldn't blame yourself or feel foolish for your action. Especially when you weren't in control of what you ingested."

Zero looked back down at her hands. "Yeah but I should have told you sooner…"

"I do agree with that." Mr Sopper said, his tone a little disappointed. "Why didn't you tell me before? You know I can talk to me about anything."

Zero looked back at him. "I dunno, you looked really tired and you had a long day of one on one sessions lined up. I didn't want to add to your line up."

Mr Sopper sighed deeply. "Zero, I appreciate the sentiment, but its not your job to worry about me. Its my job to worry about you. The minute you thought something was wrong you should have told me, or even Ms McBeth. It's better to be safe rather than sorry."

"I'm know." Zero said softly. "I will next time. I promise."

The man gave her a simper. "Then there is nothing more for me to lecture you about. It was just a simple mistake and I'm sure we both can grow from this in our own ways. It has certainly made me rethink the method I used to dispense medication."

"Are you in trouble with your boss?" Zero asked.

"No, they understand the situation, it was just a suggestion that I think was long overdue." He said. "Even I'm still learning at my age." He noticed Zero's still somber mood, and smiled in comforting fashion. "The other children were asking how you were."

Zero blinked and looked up at him. "Do they know what happened?"

"In a sense. Protocall had them send in a policeman to investigate in case of neglect. Asked them all some questions about how they felt after they had taken their pills and if any of them were having the same symptoms you were. They put that together with the ambulance arriving after the alarm." He shrugged. "They don't know about the roof or what happened in the classroom. Thats up to you if you want to tell them. The only thing I shared was that you were ok and recovering nicely at the hospital."

Mr Sopper chuckled. "Vin was especially worried. He was practically on my heels for almost two hours last night with questions." The man then looked disappointed. "Course I wasn't please that he tried to start up a fight with Bert. He believed that little prank had something to do with your condition."

"Bert could take Vin anytime he wanted." Zero said. "Thats why I need to bail him out all the time."

"Bert wasn't really himself last night either. I think he feels rather guilty about the whole thing." Mr Sopper explained. "Not that he had a clue to what was happening."

"I can talk to him later, when I get back in a few days." Zero said. "Doctor came in and told me at least two more nights, but not much else."

'Did he?" Mr Sopper asked, standing from his seat. "I should speak with him as well. He'll give me all the details and I can relay them to you. I'll be right back."

"Kay." Zero nodded as he walked out of the room. She took up another blank piece of paper, starting to draw once more. This time she was drawing a garden, with as many earthy colours as her selection provided.

Not many people knew this but Zero loved being outside in nature. She liked playing outside and doing work outside. She lived for the feeling of wet dirt between your toes and your hand running through grass. Fresh air, both summer hot and winter cold. Growing up on her Praskchur’s farm there wasn’t much to do that was out of Leta’s way. The woman didn’t like Zero going outside, incase anyone saw her. Leta had set up a small knob TV with a VHS player in the root cellar, Zero’s room, for the girl to watch.However it was no replacement for swinging on her tire or making things in the mud. The basement bathroom was often messy because of this but Leta didn’t care, she never went downstairs.

 Zero looked out the window. She had always hated being cooped up.

______

  _The man, Cosmo Sopper or something, was back after a few days. Not that Zero cared. Today she had managed to shove her daybed over to the only window in the room, far too high up for her to see out of normally.  She was on her tiptoes, looking over the rim of the window and to the parking lot bellow. There were a few trees, some grass, but for the most part it was just cityscape, something that irked her to no end._

 

_Why would anyone want to stare at this all day, when there were forests and hilly fields to enjoy?_

 

_“See anything interesting?” Sopper asked._

 

_“No, its all grey and blah…” She frowned, even the sky here was murky._

 

_“I can’t agree more. The city isn’t my kind of environment. I prefer a nice forest to hike in.” Sopper said, leaning back on the wall he sat against._

_"I like going outside but I couldn't do it much..."_

 

_“Why would that be?” Sopper asked her quietly. Zero blinked, looking back at him with a frown._

 

_“Why should I tell you?” She responded._

  


_He looked thoughtful but ended up just chuckling. "I'm not sure. I'm just curious." When she kept glaring at him the man hummed. "Well when I was a boy, my father rarely wanted me home. He liked it when I stayed out of his way, so I was often at that park for longer then I should have been." He shrugged. "Did your… caregivers worry too much and not want you outside for your own safety?"_

_Zero stared at him before giving a loud laugh. "No. She didn't want people to see me."_

_"And who was she?" He asked, putting his knees up so he could rest his arms on them._

_"Leta." Zero said, looking back outside as a person walking their dog went by._

_"And who is Leta?"_

_Zero looked back, cross again. "She's the lady who crashed our car."_

_"Ah." Sopper said, still thoughtful. "Did you know her long?"_

_Zero scoffed. "Only my whole life._

_"Was she related to you?"_

_Zero paused, biting her lip. She looked back outside. The dog was gone._

_"Zero, was she related to you?"_

_"I'm not supposed to talk about it." Zero said quickly_

_"And why is that?"_

_Zero scowled and scratched at the window. There was a fleck of dirt on it. "She doesn't like it. Leta said she'd be mad."_

_"Well, Leta's not really here anymore." Sopper said, cocking his head._

_The girl paused at that. Yes, Leta had died hadn't she. She couldn't hurt Zero anymore._

_Or at least Zero hoped she couldn't…_

_The weight of Leta's memory was crushing, it still felt like the woman could burst through the door at any moment and grab her by the hair, dragging her back to the farm as she scream at Zero for her committed sins._

_Zero knelt and crawled to the corner on the bed, curling up there for a second. It felt safer in corners. The room was silent for a moment's time._

_"I talked with the staff and they said your behaviour has improved." The man said suddenly, though Zero didn't move. "You haven't biten or kicked at anyone when they've come in the room."_

_Zero shrugged into her knees in the corner._

_"If you keep up with your good behaviour, the doctors have agreed to let me take you for a walk in the courtyard the next time I visit." Sopper said._

_Zero lifted her head enough to peek out. "Really?"_

_"Really." He smiled._

_Zero stared at him unblinkingly. Honestly she'd take any excuse to go outside, even if she had to put up with more poking and pills. It had been hard to endure the last few days but the shocked expressions on the nurses faces were amusing enough to get her through._

_"I also brought you something." Sopper said, pulling something out of a bag he had brought in. Zero blinked when he held it out to her. Wearily she crawled over the bed from her corner and snatched the object before scurrying back to her safe place, looking over her prize._

_Another book. Yeah…._

_"Its an I Spy book." Sopper explained. "It gives you a list of objects to find, hidden on each page."_

_She opened it, looking at the list of objects pictured at the bottom, to a complex picture of things over top of it. There were quite a few pages in the book to explore. "Another way to play those pages is to find objects in the same colour or that start with the same letter, though you may not be able to do that one." Sopper said._

_Zero looked up from it. "Why are you giving this to me?"_

_"You looked bored." Sopper said simply._

_Zero just frowned in confusion at his response. She had no idea what he had to gain from this…_

_She decided she'd just have to keep an eye on him._

* * *

"- so you got a crack in your occipital bone, that's the part of your skull at the back. They're confident that it will heal on its own. Thought it took a few stitched to close the flesh wound back there. They had to cut some hair out of the way, but it shouldn't be noticeable." Mr Sopper explained, gesturing to the areas with his hands as he spoke. "Your forehead was just a small cut, but head injuries tend to bleed heavily. It was only four stitches. Everything else is fine though, your likely just feeling rattled and there's some bruises on your back with a few cracked ribs, but nothing serious."

Zero ran a hand over her forehead, feeling the wound puckered unhappily against her stitches. Likely making an angry red area. "Not bad for falling two stories." She said.

"It could have been much worse." Mr Sopper agreed. "Thankfully it wasn't and everything turned out as well as it could have." He frowned. "Are you feeling any pain? We can get the nurses to give you something to help."

"I have some pain, but I'll be ok." Zero shrugged. "Nothing I can't handle."

"If you're sure. However if you change your mind I'm sure you can ask at a nurse any time." Mr Sopper said.

Zero remembered the dirty look one nurse had given her, frowning a little. "Sure. I guess so."

"Do you need anything for your stay here? I can bring it in first thing in the morning." Mr Sopper said as he pulled her blankets up to tuck her in a little.

"No, I'm good, I-" Zero stopped, thinking for a second. "Actually, could you bring me one of my I Spy books? They keep me busy."

"Of course." He smiled.

"Hey there." A nice young nurse stood at the door and tried to look pleasant, though she was clearly exhausted. "Sunday visiting hours end at four, you have about ten minutes, ok?"

"Oh I didn't realize." Mr Sopper frowned. "I'm sorry Zero I should have come sooner."

"Its fine." Zero shrugged.

"I'll come by in the morning. We're having a free day tomorrow so the other kids can work on their projects." Sopper explained. "I am, however, going to take you out of class for the rest of the week, to give you time to rest up."

"I understand." Zero nodded, wincing a little when her head throbbed. She wasn't worried about catching up though. She was still behind most students her age, having never gone to school. She would still be where she left off. Thankfully she wasn't so far behind that it was embarrassing. Mr Sopper gave her tutoring and helped whenever he was able outside normal class.

"Once your feeling better we can talk about what happened in more detail." Mr Sopper continued. "Try and put together any questions you may have. However if you want to talk before that, my door is always open."

"Thanks Mr Sopper." Zero smiled slightly, watching him walked out. He gave her one last quick wave before leaving.

She slowly turned back to her window view. She didn't have a view of the parking lot this time. This hospital was smaller than the one in the city, where she started. St Claire was in the town of Pinkerton, hence the school being named after it, and was surrounded by woodlands. Zero knew very little about the town besides a grocery store Mr Sopper would take a few kids to for training from time to time. Like having Fred stand alone in an aisle while Mr Sopper and his big brother took a lap of the store.

The only other thing she knew about the town was it wasn't fond of Pinkerton school. The school was far enough away for no noise to be heard and no kids to be seen, having used the building that was the town's old work farm a long time ago. Most townspeople were worried about safety, not the kids safety of course but the towns. Like the mentally different kids were prisoners that would one day break out and lay waste to the village akin to hellspawn. While the school was being finished Zero and Mr Sopper were the only residents, and they often had the same people come around to complain about the proposed school, not wanting it there at all.

Mr Sopper tried to keep Zero away from them, but it often didn't work out. They didn't have nice things to say about her or any other children in need of special assistance. Once the school got running and they started to buy things from the town to keep it going, they shut up, for the most part.

Judging from how some of the nurses looked into her room from time to time it wasn't all gone though.

Thankfully she wasn't here for as long as she had been before. If she was strapped to this bed for six months then she'd throw a fit. Nurse's opinions be damned.

* * *

_He was back again._

_Zero watched him from her bed, which was still pushed under the window from a few days ago. He had a coat on and was carrying a spare, and when he turned to her he smiled widely._

_"I've heard good things Zero! The doctors are very impressed by your improvements and they agree that you get your reward." He said, holding up the large coat. "What do you say to a walk in the courtyard?"_

_Zero blinked and got to her feet. "You really mean it?"_

_"Of course." He held out the coat. "Put this on though, your hospital pajamas won't keep the cold wind out."_

_She eyed the coat and shuffled over to him, taking it and looking it over. It was a plain black coat with some strange symbol on the left shoulder. Seemed like a company or something… She pulled it on, immediately calmed by it's shape over her body. She had grown up wearing old hoodies and coats overtop of her clothes. Hanging so long they should be called dresses. They made her feel safe and hidden from the world._

_She paused in her musings to look up, Sopper watching her reaction closely. "What?" She frowned, pulling the coat closer._

_"Oh nothing." He responded quickly, pointing out the hall. "We should go though, we only have an hour or so." As she went to leave he stopped her, the girl looking up at the man, who seemed sheepish. "There is one last thing however. I need to hold your hand while we walk through the hospital, so you don't wander off."_

_Zero started at him. "Hold my hand?"_

_"Yes."_

_"Hold… my hand?" Zero repeated, brow raising._

_"Thats not an issue is it?" Sopper asked._

_"I- I dunno what you're telling me." She admitted, tilting her head and squinting. "What's holding someone's hand? They don't come off."_

_Sopper stared back at her, mouth slowly starting to frown. "You mean… you've never held hands with anyone before?"_

_She bristled. "No." She said sharply, daring him to laugh at her._

_He didn't though. He just looked sad for some reason. "Well… Holding hands is when you put your hand against my hand and we both hold each others hand at the same time. That way we can keep track of each other, so if one of us starts to move away we can feel it and pull them back."_

_Zero looked down at his hand. "That sounds stupid."_

_"And why do you say that?" He asked, honestly surprised._

_"Everybody hates touching each other." Zero explained simply._

_"Do they? What make you say that? You never wanted anyone to touch you at all before?" Sopper asked, looking thoughtful._

_"Welll… maybe when I was littler." She said, remembering a few times. "But you learn how your supposed to be like as you get older. Touching people makes you mad and you gotta-" Zero moved her one hand in a swatting motion. "-Get them off you. Its annoying and you need to learn to stop being so stupid and needy."_

_"..."_

_He wasn't saying anything and Zero waited for a response. She couldn't make out what he was thinking, his glasses were glinting with the light from the window. After a minute he just put up his hand for gesturing._

_"Zero, some people don't like to be touched and that's ok. However that's not the same for everyone. Touching is a complex subject because just as you need to want to touch someone, the other person has to say it's ok. It doesn't warrant violence against someone though. At least not at the first attempt." He sighed. "Zero I need to keep you at arms length and holding hands would be easier, but if you don't want to, I can think of an alternative."_

_"Like what?" She asked._

_A few minutes later they were side by side in the elevator, both holding half the I spy book in one hand. Rule was Zero couldn't let go of it, but she found it easy to do. There was nothing of interest to her until they arrived at the courtyard._

_When they got outside Zero found it wasn't what she expected. It was a penned in area with concrete walkways and grass. There were planter boxes and a few trees but the entire area was filled with the noise from the city traffic. There was no swing sadly, like she had hoped, but it was still outside! The wind was cool but fresh, well as much as the city could make it._

_She looked around excitedly once they closed the door. "Can I let go now?!" She asked, bouncing on her feet._

_"Yes you may-"_

_Zero took off, kicking off the sandals the hospital gave her and stepping on the grass. It was cold and dewy from the rain earlier. She loved it. Especially the way the grass mashed under her feet._

_"Zero." Sopper said as he caught up. "Try and stay close ok?"_

_"Ok." She said, sliding her foot along the grass. She smiled when she saw a dandelion taking form on her one side, there were lots of those back at the farm. "I wanna catch some bugs"_

_"I'm not sure what bugs there are to catch around here, but we'll see what we can scrounge up." Sopper said, following her onto the grass after kicking off his shoes. "Ah, nothing like the wet earth between your toes."_

_"Yeah." Zero agreed, digging her feet deeper. "I love it. I love the wind and small of rain. Being outside is the best. I haven't been out in a long time!"_

_"How often did you sneak out before?" Sopper asked._

_"Whenever I could. Leta never usually noticed if I was gone though, she just got mad if she caught me." Zero noted a puddle and jumped into it. She laughed as the water went everywhere._

_"Strange she'd be so keen to keep you inside though." Sopper said._

_"I thought so to, but she said I'd get her in trouble." Zero admitted._

_"What kind of trouble?"_

_Zero stopped to look back at him. "Why do you ask so many questions? Only dumbasses ask too many questions."_

_"Was the person who told you that also the one who hated being touched?" Sopper said._

_"So what if they were?" Zero frowned. "Asking questions just makes you look stupid. Like you don't know things. People need to figure things out for themselves."_

_"I disagree." Sopper said, putting his hands behind his back. "Asking questions helps us learn far easier than roughing it alone. That's why humans learned to communicate with each other. So we could solve problems and answer questions together. I know I wouldn't be half the person I am now without asking questions."_

_Zero looked away thoughtfully._

_"Sometimes asking questions is hard, like you could be embarrassed or made fun of, but I find the risk is well worth it. If I hadn't asked the nurses to take you outside then we wouldn't be here. If I hadn't asked you to not be violent then they wouldn't have let you out. Then if I hadn't been asked to come and meet with you, none of this would have happened at all." He shrugged. "You even asked some questions before yourself."_

_"Not as many as you."_

_"True, but like I said, I find the risk is worth it." He shrugged with a smile. "You know if you ever want to ask me anything, I won't get mad. I love teaching and learning. If I can help then I'd be happy to."_

_Zero didn't' look back at him, instead she was still lost in her musings, until some noise caught her attention. Beyond the iron fence surrounding the courtyard was a building across the street. A large, long black car was driving up to it. She watched for a second before looked back up at Sopper with a little apprehension. "Wh- What kind of car is that?"_

_"That one? A hurst." Sopper said, looking up to it now. "You don't see them a lot. They're usually used for funerals."_

_"Funerals." Zero echoed, eyes widening at the framiler word. "I know about those."_

_"Do you?" Sopper asked._

_"Yeah, thats where you put people in the ground after they die and try to forget about them." Zero explained._

_"...Ah, well you have the first part right. People typically try to remember the deceased though, that's why funerals are held, to alleviate grief. " Sopper explained. "Thats also why there are mourners and headstones."_

_"I wanted to go to one once, but Leta wouldn't let me." Zero frowned, looking back at the building. At that moment she realized something. "Did Leta get a funeral? When she died?"_

_"No, not yet at least." Sopper said quietly. "We didn't know her name until you told me. Until we can get a last name and address we can't find anyone to bury her."_

_Zero mullded this over, wondering if Bill would give Leta a funeral. Honestly Zero wasn't worried about it, Leta was dead with or without a funeral. Only…_

_"What happens if you don't get a funeral?" Zero asked._

_"Oh. The body is held until some steps forward to offer to do the burial or municipality take responsibility after an allotment of time. Either way you get a grave site to rest in." Sopper said._

_Zero noted a few people leaving the building, they were dressed in black and they all seemed pretty upset. She focused on two of them, who were linked at the hands. Palms cupped against each others and fingers curled over each other's, squeezing in assurance._

_"Is that what you were saying about hand holding?" Zero asked._

_"Yes, thats it."_

_Zero hummed, a little pensive. "They look like their made to fit together."_

_"Amazes me to. We don't think much of it these days, but the fact that hand holding so meaningful, natural and simple never ceases to astound me when I really think about it." He sighed. "People spend so much time trying to find where they fit in, when all they have to do is reach out their hand." He chuckled slightly._

_Zero looked down at her hands for a moment._

_Then stuffed them in her pockets._

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys, thanks for reading! I have a few more chapters written and if this goes well then I'll keep writing. No promises on how long I'll go but I'll try to wrap up Zero's arch. 
> 
> Once more please let me know if anything is offensive!


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